VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government welcomes the approval of the International Treaty for the Protection of Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on 24 May 2024.

After 11 days of intensive negotiations, the treaty, which is a new international rule of law in the transparency and protection of the global patent system, was finally ratified in the final round of negotiations attended by 193 WIPO member countries and representatives of Indigenous People and Local Communities.

In his statement, Indonesia's Permanent Representative to the UN, World Trade Organization (WTO), and other international organizations in Geneva, Febrian Ruddyard, emphasized that this success cannot be separated from Indonesia's important role in the negotiation process as the coordinator of the group of like-minded countries (LMCs) for 24 years.

With this treaty, Indonesia and countries that own intellectual property, genetic resources, and traditional knowledge will gain several important benefits, such as transparency.

The Permanent Representative (PTRI) Geneva in a written statement said that the global patent system will experience an improvement in transparency with the obligation of each country to disclose patents globally.

Furthermore, the treaty also provides for sanction mechanisms that will enhance the protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

It is said that the treaty will encourage standardization and harmonization of global regulations and protect local wisdom.

According to PTRI Geneva, the treaty also opens up opportunities to advance other issues related to traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.

Immediately after the close of the negotiations, the Final Act was signed as a report of the meeting which forms the basis for the next steps for the finalization of the Agreement planned at the WIPO General Assembly in Geneva, July 2024. (jpnn)